← 17 Jan Monday 18 January 2021 · to 23:59 UTC 19 Jan →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
20,883 stories about harm· Trends· Every past day

We measure how the world's news covered people being harmed — and the help and hope within it.

How to read these numbers →

The news turned to illness in Moscow, violence in Darfur and protests in Tunis (Tunisia). Sudan's coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Worldwide, the words used were harsher than usual.

Part of lifeHealth 55 in 100 of the stories about harm · less than usual Country that rose mostSudan 79 in 100 of its 95 stories, usually 51
RegionCentral Asia 42 in 100 of its stories, usually 36
Tone of the words Harsher than usual across the world's stories about harm

What the world's news was about today

how these are picked →
Health

Russia

467 of its 1,074 stories (43%) were about people being harmed, usually 30%. Moscow accounted for 345 of Russia's 467 stories about harm, carried by 717 outlets. Reports of arrests ran at about 8 times the usual rate (138 stories). Poisoning was named in 235 of its stories about harm, about 4 times usual. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

Russia over 30 days → its stories → Moscow stories →
Conflict & violence

Sudan

75 of its 95 stories (79%) were about people being harmed, usually 51%. Darfur accounted for 65 of Sudan's 75 stories about harm, carried by 108 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about 4 times the usual rate (48 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

Sudan over 30 days → its stories → Darfur stories →
Protests & strikes

Tunisia

53 of its 76 stories (70%) were about people being harmed, usually 57%. Tunis accounted for 42 of Tunisia's 53 stories about harm, carried by 37 outlets. 32 of Tunis' 42 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about 6 times the usual rate (36 stories).

Tunisia over 30 days → its stories → Tunis stories →
Disasters & accidents

Indonesia

149 of its 240 stories (62%) were about people being harmed, usually 54%. Reports of people displaced ran at about 7 times the usual rate (21 stories). Flooding was named in 33 of its stories about harm, about 5 times usual. Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's. Fear in its coverage rose to about one and a half times its own usual.

Indonesia over 30 days → its stories →
6 more places the news pointed at
Health

Norway

82 of its 151 stories (54%) were about people being harmed, usually 34%. Reports of people killed ran at about twice the usual rate (58 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Afghanistan

94 of its 131 stories (72%) were about people being harmed, usually 62%. Kabul accounted for 62 of Afghanistan's 94 stories about harm, carried by 58 outlets. Its coverage was about three times as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Health

St Vincent

10 of its 14 stories (71%) were about people being harmed, usually 39%. Reports of people killed ran at about three times the usual rate (7 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Rights & justice

Saudi Arabia

72 of its 176 stories (41%) were about people being harmed, usually 32%. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (6 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Kashmir

50 of its 101 stories (50%) were about people being harmed, usually 40%. Reports of people affected ran at about twice the usual rate (7 stories). Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Netherlands

11 of Amsterdam's 18 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about 4 times the usual rate (7 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: extreme cold in Poland (10 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); cyclone in Australia (44 of its stories, about 5 times its usual); storms in New Zealand (10 of its stories, about 7 times its usual); heavy rain in UK (99 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); poisoning in China (10 of its stories, about three times its usual).

27 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 28; 29 the day before
31 in 10027 in 10020 Dec27 Dec3 Jan10 Jan18 Jan20 Dec: 28 in 10021 Dec: 27 in 10022 Dec: 27 in 10023 Dec: 27 in 10024 Dec: 27 in 10025 Dec: 28 in 10026 Dec: 30 in 10027 Dec: 31 in 10028 Dec: 29 in 10029 Dec: 29 in 10030 Dec: 29 in 10031 Dec: 29 in 1001 Jan: 28 in 1002 Jan: 29 in 1003 Jan: 30 in 1004 Jan: 27 in 1005 Jan: 27 in 1006 Jan: 27 in 1007 Jan: 28 in 1008 Jan: 29 in 1009 Jan: 31 in 10010 Jan: 31 in 10011 Jan: 27 in 10012 Jan: 27 in 10013 Jan: 27 in 10014 Jan: 27 in 10015 Jan: 27 in 10016 Jan: 29 in 10017 Jan: 29 in 10018 Jan: 27 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 18 Jan. The big dot is this day; the shaded band is a normal day (the 30 days before it). Click a day to open it. Based on 20,883 stories about harm among 77,296 counted on 18 Jan.

Read the day's briefing

It was the second day running that the news turned to Russia. of the day's 77,296 news stories, 27 in every 100 were about people being harmed, below the usual 28. A year earlier, on 19 January 2020, 20 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 27 today. Russia's news was 43% about people being harmed, against a usual 30%.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Sudan79 in 100 of its 95 stories · usually 51 · mostly conflict & violence Afghanistan72 in 100 of its 131 stories · usually 62 · mostly conflict & violence Guatemala70 in 100 of its 70 stories · usually 49 · mostly conflict & violence Tunisia70 in 100 of its 76 stories · usually 57 · mostly rights & justice Indonesia62 in 100 of its 240 stories · usually 54 · mostly disasters & accidents

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Washington US920 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1525 Moscow Russia130 stories about protests or strikes, of its 345 Seattle US79 stories about protests or strikes, of its 101 New York US46 stories about protests or strikes, of its 205 London UK42 stories about protests or strikes, of its 423

Stories, not people.

Where the news was warmest

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Zimbabwe: about as warm as its own usual or lessZambia: about as warm as its own usual or lessYemen: about as warm as its own usual or lessVietnam: about as warm as its own usual or lessVenezuela: too little coverage to readVanuatu: about as warm as its own usual or lessUzbekistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessUruguay: too little coverage to readMicronesia: about as warm as its own usual or lessU.S. Virgin Islands: too little coverage to readGuam: about as warm as its own usual or lessPuerto Rico: about as warm as its own usual or lessUnited States: about as warm as its own usual or lessSouth Georgia & South Sandwich Islands: too little coverage to readFalkland Islands: too little coverage to readCayman Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessIsle of Man: about as warm as its own usual or lessUnited Kingdom: about as warm as its own usual or lessUnited Arab Emirates: about as warm as its own usual or lessUkraine: about as warm as its own usual or lessTurkmenistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessTurkey: about as warm as its own usual or lessTunisia: about as warm as its own usual or lessTrinidad & Tobago: about as warm as its own usual or lessTonga: about as warm as its own usual or lessTogo: about as warm as its own usual or lessTimor-Leste: too little coverage to readThailand: about as warm as its own usual or lessTanzania: about as warm as its own usual or lessTajikistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessTaiwan: about as warm as its own usual or lessSyria: about as warm as its own usual or lessSwitzerland: about as warm as its own usual or lessSweden: about as warm as its own usual or lessEswatini: about as warm as its own usual or lessSuriname: too little coverage to readSouth Sudan: about as warm as its own usual or lessSudan: about as warm as its own usual or lessSri Lanka: about as warm as its own usual or lessSpain: about as warm as its own usual or lessSouth Korea: about as warm as its own usual or lessSouth Africa: about as warm as its own usual or lessSomalia: about as warm as its own usual or lessSomaliland: too little coverage to readSolomon Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessSlovakia: too little coverage to readSlovenia: about as warm as its own usual or lessSingapore: about as warm as its own usual or lessSierra Leone: about as warm as its own usual or lessSeychelles: about as warm as its own usual or lessSerbia: too little coverage to readSenegal: about as warm as its own usual or lessSaudi Arabia: about as warm as its own usual or lessSão Tomé: too little coverage to readSamoa: too little coverage to readSt Vincent: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt. Lucia: too little coverage to readRwanda: about as warm as its own usual or lessRussia: about as warm as its own usual or lessRomania: too little coverage to readQatar: about as warm as its own usual or lessPortugal: about as warm as its own usual or lessPoland: about as warm as its own usual or lessPhilippines: about as warm as its own usual or lessPeru: about as warm as its own usual or lessParaguay: about as warm as its own usual or lessPanama: too little coverage to readPalau: about as warm as its own usual or lessPakistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessOman: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorway: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorth Korea: about as warm as its own usual or lessNigeria: about as warm as its own usual or lessNiger: about as warm as its own usual or lessNicaragua: about as warm as its own usual or lessNew Zealand: too little coverage to readNiue: too little coverage to readNetherlands: about as warm as its own usual or lessCuraçao: too little coverage to readNepal: about as warm as its own usual or lessNamibia: too little coverage to readMozambique: about as warm as its own usual or lessMorocco: about as warm as its own usual or lessWestern Sahara: about as warm as its own usual or lessMontenegro: too little coverage to readMongolia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMoldova: about as warm as its own usual or lessMexico: about as warm as its own usual or lessMauritius: too little coverage to readMauritania: about as warm as its own usual or lessMalta: about as warm as its own usual or lessMalaysia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMalawi: about as warm as its own usual or lessMadagascar: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorth Macedonia: too little coverage to readLuxembourg: about as warm as its own usual or lessLithuania: about as warm as its own usual or lessLibya: about as warm as its own usual or lessLiberia: about as warm as its own usual or lessLesotho: about as warm as its own usual or lessLatvia: about as warm as its own usual or lessLaos: too little coverage to readKyrgyzstan: about as warm as its own usual or lessKuwait: about as warm as its own usual or lessKosovo: too little coverage to readKiribati: too little coverage to readKenya: about as warm as its own usual or lessKazakhstan: about as warm as its own usual or lessJordan: about as warm as its own usual or lessJapan: about as warm as its own usual or lessJamaica: about as warm as its own usual or lessItaly: about as warm as its own usual or lessIsrael: about as warm as its own usual or lessPalestine: about as warm as its own usual or lessIreland: about as warm as its own usual or lessIraq: about as warm as its own usual or lessIran: about as warm as its own usual or lessIndonesia: about as warm as its own usual or lessIndia: about as warm as its own usual or lessIceland: too little coverage to readHungary: about as warm as its own usual or lessHonduras: about as warm as its own usual or lessHaiti: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuyana: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuinea-Bissau: too little coverage to readGuinea: about as warm as its own usual or lessGrenada: too little coverage to readGreece: about as warm as its own usual or lessGhana: about as warm as its own usual or lessGermany: about as warm as its own usual or lessGeorgia: about as warm as its own usual or lessGambia: about as warm as its own usual or lessGabon: too little coverage to readFrance: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt Pierre & Miquelon: too little coverage to readFrench Polynesia: too little coverage to readNew Caledonia: too little coverage to readFrench Southern Territories: too little coverage to readÅland Islands: too little coverage to readFinland: about as warm as its own usual or lessFiji: about as warm as its own usual or lessEthiopia: about as warm as its own usual or lessEstonia: about as warm as its own usual or lessEritrea: too little coverage to readEquatorial Guinea: too little coverage to readEl Salvador: too little coverage to readEgypt: about as warm as its own usual or lessEcuador: about as warm as its own usual or lessDominican Republic: about as warm as its own usual or lessDominica: too little coverage to readDjibouti: too little coverage to readGreenland: about as warm as its own usual or lessFaroe Islands: too little coverage to readDenmark: about as warm as its own usual or lessCzech Republic: too little coverage to readN. Cyprus: too little coverage to readCyprus: about as warm as its own usual or lessCuba: about as warm as its own usual or lessCroatia: about as warm as its own usual or lessCôte d'Ivoire: too little coverage to readCosta Rica: too little coverage to readDR Congo: about as warm as its own usual or lessCongo: about as warm as its own usual or lessComoros: too little coverage to readColombia: about as warm as its own usual or lessChina: about as warm as its own usual or lessHong Kong: about as warm as its own usual or lessChile: about as warm as its own usual or lessChad: about as warm as its own usual or lessCentral African Republic: about as warm as its own usual or lessCape Verde: too little coverage to readCanada: about as warm as its own usual or lessCameroon: about as warm as its own usual or lessCambodia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMyanmar: about as warm as its own usual or lessBurundi: about as warm as its own usual or lessBurkina Faso: about as warm as its own usual or lessBulgaria: about as warm as its own usual or lessBrunei: too little coverage to readBrazil: about as warm as its own usual or lessBotswana: about as warm as its own usual or lessBosnia and Herzegovina: too little coverage to readBolivia: about as warm as its own usual or lessBhutan: about as warm as its own usual or lessBenin: too little coverage to readBelize: too little coverage to readBelgium: about as warm as its own usual or lessBelarus: about as warm as its own usual or lessBarbados: about as warm as its own usual or lessBangladesh: about as warm as its own usual or lessBahrain: too little coverage to readBahamas: about as warm as its own usual or lessAzerbaijan: about as warm as its own usual or lessAustria: about as warm as its own usual or lessAustralia: about as warm as its own usual or lessHeard & McDonald Islands: too little coverage to readArmenia: about as warm as its own usual or lessArgentina: too little coverage to readAntigua & Barbuda: about as warm as its own usual or lessAngola: about as warm as its own usual or lessAndorra: too little coverage to readAlgeria: about as warm as its own usual or lessAlbania: about as warm as its own usual or lessAfghanistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessJammu & Kashmir: about as warm as its own usual or lessAksai Chin: about as warm as its own usual or lessGaza: about as warm as its own usual or lessWest Bank: about as warm as its own usual or lessWestern Sahara (Moroccan-controlled): about as warm as its own usual or lessWestern Sahara (Free Zone): about as warm as its own usual or lessAzad Kashmir & Gilgit-Baltistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessSiachen Glacier: about as warm as its own usual or lessCrimea: about as warm as its own usual or lessEast Jerusalem: about as warm as its own usual or lessAzad Kashmir & Gilgit-Baltistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessVatican City: too little coverage to readMarshall Islands: too little coverage to readNorthern Mariana Islands: too little coverage to readAmerican Samoa: too little coverage to readChagos Islands: too little coverage to readSt. Helena: too little coverage to readPitcairn: too little coverage to readAnguilla: too little coverage to readBermuda: about as warm as its own usual or lessBritish Virgin Islands: too little coverage to readTurks & Caicos Islands: too little coverage to readMontserrat: too little coverage to readJersey: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuernsey: too little coverage to readSan Marino: too little coverage to readSt Kitts & Nevis: about as warm as its own usual or lessCook Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessAruba: too little coverage to readNauru: too little coverage to readMonaco: about as warm as its own usual or lessMaldives: about as warm as its own usual or lessLiechtenstein: too little coverage to readWallis & Futuna: too little coverage to readSt. Martin: too little coverage to readSt. Barthélemy: too little coverage to readMacao: too little coverage to readNorfolk Island: too little coverage to readSint Maarten: too little coverage to readChristmas Island: too little coverage to readGibraltar: about as warm as its own usual or lessMayotte: too little coverage to readUganda: warmth about its own usualPapua New Guinea: warmth about its own usualMali: warmth about its own usualLebanon: warmth about its own usualGuatemala: warmth about its own usualMontana, US -- health: 18 stories, carried by 33 outletsColorado, US -- health: 12 stories, carried by 13 outletsBerkshire, UK -- health: 45 stories, carried by 38 outletsVancouver, Canada -- health: 26 stories, carried by 38 outletsHong Kong Special Administrative Region, Hong Kong -- health: 14 stories, carried by 11 outletsKampala, Uganda -- rights & justice: 59 stories, carried by 156 outletsNandigram, India -- conflict & violence: 12 stories, carried by 14 outletsPerth, Australia -- health: 15 stories, carried by 18 outlets
Warmer than its own usual The warmest eventsAbout as warm or lessToo little news

Each country shaded by the warmth in its news — care, help, gratitude — against its own last 30 days. Stronger colour: further above. Dots: the events whose coverage carried the most warmth, even where the event itself began as harm. Warm words, not good outcomes. Click a country or a dot.

Warmest news

No country's news was much warmer than its usual (a quarter or more).

Warmest events

● Montana US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 18 stories ● Colorado US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 12 stories ● Berkshire UK about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 45 stories ● Vancouver Canada about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 26 stories ● Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Hong Kong about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 14 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health55% 11,319 stories · less than usual (usually 59%) Rights & justice20% 4,168 stories · more than usual (usually 16%) Conflict & violence9% 1,943 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents8% 1,678 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given3% 712 stories · about as usual Shelter & services2% 393 stories · about as usual Displacement1% 276 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood1% 237 stories · about as usual

Of the stories about people being harmed, what part of life each was about. The mark is usual.

Harm reported 30 days →

Stories reporting people killed5,669 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,611 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected1,265 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured974 at about the usual rate Stories reporting abductions141 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees132 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people displaced117 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations81 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill17 at about half the usual rate · most about the US and China

Stories that report it, not people: we count what reporters wrote, not what happened.

How it felt 30 days →

harshwarm

The words in the day's stories were harsher than usual. Filled dot: today. Ring: usual.

● Angerabout as usual
● Warmthabout as usual
● Griefabout as usual
● Fearabout as usual

From the words reporters used across the whole day, never one story. Fear is the weakest of the four measures. How?

The weekly briefing · 19 Oct – 25 Oct

The week in human impact

Read the week →

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How to read these numbers →

These are counts of stories, not counts of suffering. Most of what happens to people is never reported at all.